From my understanding in the coptic tradition the tattoos are a "type" of bearing your cross, Being in such a heavy persecuted area it is a way to stand for Christ and some older generations i have heard almost look at those with out the tattoos as being ashamed of Christ... unfortunately now days its also a way of identifying christian bodies...

Not just women have it though. It is for men and women, sometimes found on the upper side of the thumb but usually on the right wrist. I am very proud to have one. It is a great reminder that God is always with me.

I know that is also a tradition for Armenians to have a similar type of "small cross" tattooed on the inside of their wrist when they first visit Jerusalem.

This is a tradition for Armenians that goes back hundreds of years. A "Haji" tattoo signifies you have completed a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The usual location is on the inner right forearm, but it has become more common in recent years (especially for women) for a tiny cross to be instead tattooed on the inside of a finger or at the wrist where it is inconspicuous or easily covered by a watch or ring. Ordinarily, the cross is of Armenian design, though some prefer different designs, and will usually have the date of your first pilgrimage inscribed underneath.

I have my Haji from my pilgrimage on my right inner forearm. They're very, very common in our community, even for priests. It is additionally tradition that one who makes a pilgrimage can also use the personal title of Haji, though this is less common. My great grandfather was known to many people as Haji Levon, as he made his pilgrimage as he was emigrating from Turkey to the United States before the Genocide, and I think it's even on his gravestone.

One must understand the special relationship Armenians have with Jerusalem, a presence that goes back (quite literally) to the time of Christ, to understand the importance of the Haji. The Haji binds you with all others who have prayed in the Holy City, in the Cathedral of St. James in the Armenian Quarter, and reminds you always of your time in Jerusalem. I carry Jerusalem with me everywhere I go.